The Baja S4 Jacket was developed for open desert Adventure riding, but as one of the most breathable and most technically advanced summer jackets we've ever come across, we find it's a great summer option for city, country, highway—wherever your summertime adventures take you.
This thing flows air beautifully, protects with a “AA+” abrasion rating, and would be our first choice for, say, tackling a summertime NEBDR mission.
Never have we seen a jacket that's at once so high-tech and (relatively speaking) low-key in its appearance (again, relatively). In the Monument Gray colorway especially, the toned down branding and muted color palette blends in with its surroundings—whether that's a trail or a cityscape.
To get right to the meat-and-potatoes here, the main chassis of the Baja jacket is made from tough and durable Schoeller-Dynatec nylon mesh, and in the especially high wear areas around the elbows and shoulders it's reinforced with Superfabric—a ceramic plating process that adds incredible abrasion resistance properties. The beauty of the Superfabric material is that it consists of a grid of tiny dots of the ceramic material—allowing air to flow between the super tough dragon scales.
At the non-critical areas the Klim uses liberal amounts of four-way stretch fabric, making this an extremely flexible and comfortable jacket to spend a day in. Underneath, a lightweight antimicrobial mesh liner helps wick sweat away and provide unrestricted airflow.
Note there are no discernible vents on this jacket. That's because the whole damn thing vents like a sieve. So much so, that it's only real weakness is that on cooler summer mornings this jacket might let in *too much* airflow.
We recommend pairing it with a packable rain layer. It pairs perfectly with Klim's Forecast Gore-Tex rain shell, or a Klim Stow Away Gore-Tex shell with operable vents.
Whether you're huffing through a technical singletrack hill climb or cruising through the city on a hot summer day, the Baja jacket delivers airflow in spades, and unlike many of the vented summer options out there, it's no slouch in the protection department, with a CE AA rating that's higher than most other mesh jackets in the class.
Fit note: These jackets run on the large side. If at all between sizes, go for the smaller size.
Shell/Construction
- Schoeller-dynatec high tenacity mesh main body/arms
- Comfort-mapped mesh chassis for durability, stretch in key locations
- Durable KARBONITE micromesh 4-way heavy stretch 1000D CORDURA in pockets, armpit gussets, waist and cuffs
- Stretch mesh comfort liner in arms and elbow pad pockets
- Durable 750D CORDURA fabric for collar, cuffs and hem
- SuperFabric on shoulders/elbows
- Designed to kit with Enduro S4 Jacket for cool/wet weather
- 3M Scotchlite Carbon Black Reflective Material
- YKK Zippers
- Pending CE AA Rating certified to EN 17092-3
Armor System
- D3O CE Level 1 Elbow, Shoulder, Back Pads
- D3O CE Level 2 upgrade compatible and sold separately
- Removable armor pads
- Kidney belt compatible (sold separately)
- Stretch mesh in elbow armor pad pockets
- Engineered spacer mesh backpad pocket
Ventilation
- Full-time chassis ventilation through schoeller-dynatec mesh panels
- Air permeability through KARBONITE micromesh stretch zones provides airflow at all speeds
- Collar tab back for increased airflow to upper chest
Storage
- 1 forearm emergency ID stat card / hidden stash pocket
- 2 zippered hand pockets
- 1 rear large zippered pocket
- 1 concealed document pocket behind backpad
- 2 lower internal zippered stash mesh pockets for airflow
- 1 upper inside chest drop pocket
- 2L Hydrapak compatible pocket (Hydrapak sold separately)
- 2 internal hydration hose routing options (over shoulder or under arm)
Fit/comfort
- Enduro S4 Jacket compatible as overshell
- Comfort mapped mesh shell for unrestricted airflow
- Moisture-wicking antimicrobial anti-odor liner
- DWR treatment sheds water
- Comfort collar liner material
- Micromesh 4-way stretch gusset to stretch over gloves
- 2 quick-adjust forearm straps
- Adjustable bottom hem
- Adjustable VELCRO cuffs
- Jacket-pant zip connection